The Perfect Spring Recipe: Creamy Gnocchi and Asparagus

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3

mins read

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Updated on

May 31, 2024

The short answer

I discovered this Gnocchi and Asparagus dish in the wonderful city of Saint-Emilion in the south of France. I went there to visit the vineyards but didn't realize that my best experience would be tasting this dish! 🤤

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A plate of gnocchi and asparagus with a creamy sauce perfect during the spring season

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Every bite felt wonderful. The gnocchi were coated in a thick, creamy, and cheesy sauce. At the time, I was making a similar recipe with a sauce made of Gorgonzola and cream. I could taste the same cheese and creaminess, but there was a deeper flavor I couldn't identify.

I asked to speak to the chef, who kindly explained how to make it. From there, I took my recipe and tried to improve it as much as I could.

Saint-Emilion Landspace with the wine yards
This is your sign to visit France, and not just Paris 😉

When I started to eat vegan, I couldn't leave that dish behind, so I kept working on it.

And this is the recipe you find here.

The Key to the Dish: The Creamy Sauce

I'm not a big fan of nutritional yeast, yet in this recipe, it works wonderfully. I tried cashew cream and vegan cheeses, but nutritional yeast yielded the most satisfying result.

Here's how to make the sauce:

  1. Cook white onions in olive oil until they bring sweetness and become translucent.
  2. Deglaze the pan with white wine (because I'm French, I do that in every single recipe 🤫).
  3. Once the wine is almost evaporated, add soy cream and bring it to a simmer.
  4. Add nutritional yeast. To counterbalance the taste, add a splash of apple cider vinegar and some herbs, I like to use fresh parsley.
The cream white wine sauce cooked in its pan

The Gnocchi and Asparagus

I like to keep this recipe simple as it is in my weekly rotation. Therefore, I simply cook the gnocchi in boiling water and use the same water to cook the Asparagus.

To finish the dish:

  1. Mix the sauce with the gnocchi and a ladle of the gnocchi cooking water.
  2. Stir everything well. This step is essential for the sauce to coat the gnocchi
Two plates of the finished recipe ready to be eaten

A Little Topping Makes a Big Difference

One thing that amazed me in that restaurant was that they topped the dish with bits of walnuts. This simple step changed the whole dish!

So take a few walnuts, crush them, and add them. Also grind fresh pepper on it.

A close up shot of the gnocchi dish with the walnuts topping

How to Replace Asparagus When It's Out of Season

Asparagus is not available year-round. I mostly make this dish during spring. If you want to make it during other seasons, you can replace the asparagus with:

The result is equally amazing!

The Recipe

Spring Gnocchi and Asparagus

A delightful spring gnocchi and asparagus recipe. It's fresh and full of flavor. A splash of white wine, crunchy asparagus, and a cheesy touch from nutritional yeast make it perfect for spring!

A plate of gnocchis and asparagus cooked in a creamy white wine sauce

Prep time

10

mins

Cooking Time

25

mins

Servings

4

people

Ingredients

  • 600g gnocchi
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 200ml white wine
  • 500g asparagus, cut into 5cm pieces
  • 200ml soy cream
  • Fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook gnocchi in boiling salted water until they float. Reserve the gnocchi and one cup of the cooking water.
  2. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add the diced onion.
  3. Sauté the onion until translucent, then add white wine.
  4. When the wine has almost evaporated, add asparagus and a pinch of salt.
  5. Cook the asparagus until slightly crunchy, then add soy cream.
  6. Stir in cumin, nutritional yeast, and apple cider vinegar.
  7. Add chopped parsley to taste.
  8. Return the gnocchi and reserved cooking water to the pan.
  9. Stir well to coat the gnocchi in the sauce.

Notes

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